Best Wishes
by: amkp
Disclaimer: Okay, I only wished JE would write more smut, her description, "And then he was inside me," left me feeling a little cheated. I mean we'd waited for how long for them get together and that was the best she could do? And it was just that one time! Pllleeasssee! But sadly, they're hers and she can do anything she dang well pleases with them. I only play with her 'toys' and receive no monetary compensation, just your reviews for which I'm terribly grateful…thank you!
Author's note: Thanks to JenRar, Jenny, my beta for her work with this drivel and to Girliegirl79, Cara, for letting me hash this out with her. Thanks, Babes.
Warning: This chapter is mainly smut, with just a touch of actual content, nothing that really adds to my story. So, if you're offended by sexual encounters, please skip this chapter and I'll see you in the next one. I'm only building the intimacy between Ranger and Stephanie in this chapter while having a little dirty fun. I hope this appeases all the handcuff smut junkies…you know who you are!!
Chapter 10-Restraint
SPOV
"Okay, wait," Carlos said in a firm voice as he took the cuffs from my hands and returned them to the back of his cargo pants.
Wait? What? We made a deal! Now he wants to call it off? He told me anything I wanted. I finally get up the nerve to do something like this with him, and now he's backpedaling? Damn it!
"Babe, stop!" He shook my shoulders gently to snap me out of my inner ramblings. "I didn't say we weren't going to do this."
Huh? I'm confused… he wants to do this?
"Stephanie, I need to set some conditions to this deal."
Oh okay, here we go. Rules. Yuck. There goes most of the fun. I hate rules!
Carlos blew out a slight sigh, then laughed softly. "You never cease to surprise me."
I blinked up at him and gave him a weak smile. He reached down to brush some hair back from my forehead. "I just need a secure location, alright?"
I nodded my head in understanding. Did he think I was just going to handcuff him to a light pole out front and have my wicked way with him? Hmm. Well? No. No. Privacy would be better. Who knew who'd want to join the party if we were in public? There were all sorts of crazy women (mainly reading fanfic) that wanted to get their hands on my man!
"Babe, being handcuffed leaves me, us, vulnerable. I need to know we're safe. We don't talk about this much, but there are people who would like nothing better than to take me out. I have to keep my guard up."
Wow, what a mood killer. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe. My mind scrambled over how empty my life would be without Carlos. Since we'd become engaged, I've sort of lived in this bubble of happiness. I mean, we've certainly had more than one crisis in our lives, but 'us', as a couple, well, things couldn't be better.
"Hey, don't worry. I didn't bring this up to upset you. Since I've quit with the government stuff, it's safer, but the people I've dealt with through my military career and with RangeMan have long memories. It's foolhardy not to be cautious."
"Yeah, well, I've managed to attract some crazies all by myself so I guess it is a good idea to be careful."
"What I was trying to say was that I needed to set the security system and have the key to the cuffs within reach. Have my weapons close. That's all, Babe."
"I thought you were calling the deal off," I said quietly.
"No, Babe. But I've never voluntarily allowed anyone to restrain me."
"Really? I figured when you suggested handcuffs that you'd done this before."
"Used handcuffs in bed, yes. As the restrainer, but never as the restrainee. And really that hasn't been very often." Carlos paused and seemed to collect his thoughts. The very picture of him in bed with another woman made my heart hurt. I hated it, didn't even want to think about it.
"Stephanie, with the Army and my travels, I've had more 'experiences' than you. I don't want that to sound cruel or rude, but life's different outside of New Jersey."
"Thank God for small favors."
Carlos laughed softly, his face full of tenderness. When we had talks like this, no matter how uncomfortable the subject matter, he's always straight with me. He didn't waste time dodging unpleasantness or trying to 'talk around' the subject.
"Of course, I'd love to share some of the things I learned, some of the erotic stuff I've seen done, but only if you're comfortable with it. It's not my intention to spring sexual tricks on you. We have our whole lives ahead of us. We can take our time and try things here and there. And if we never do anything more, that's fine too. I love you, Stephanie. So if you're ever uncomfortable with anything, you call a halt and we stop, okay?"
The love this man shows me has my mind questioning what I ever did to deserve it. Carlos tipped my chin up with his thumb and looked into my eyes. I could see, feel, his love and I hoped he saw it reciprocated in mine. "I love you, Carlos Manoso," I breathed against his lips. He flashed a 1,000 watt smile before he captured my mouth in a soft, gentle kiss. He hands reached up into my hair as the kiss deepened and turned more passionate.
We separated after several long moments. Carlos caressed the side of my face with his knuckles. I leaned into the motion and closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of his touch.
"Let's go upstairs, Babe." He swept me up into his arms as I wrapped mine around his neck. He pushed the door closed with his foot and holding me against the door with one arm and his upper body, he secured the lock with his free hand.
He carried me into the hallway to the main console of the security system. He sat me on my feet briefly while he punched a complicated series of numbers into the panel. The same beeping I heard every night before we go to bed started, and then a computerized voice announced that the system had upgraded to level three security.
From my experience with RangeMan, I knew that this meant that if anything passed across the laser motion sensors surrounding the property and the house, that there would be an audible alert within the house and at the monitor station at the office. If the alert was not handled on the house's main console within two minutes, a RangeMan unit would be dispatched and all cameras in the entire house activated immediately.
When he was satisfied that the system was working properly, he scooped me back up into his arms and headed for the stairs. He carried me directly to the bed. My FMPs sunk into the carpet as he lowered me to the floor.
Reaching around him, I plucked his cuffs from the snap at the back of his cargos. Carlos raised his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth tipped up.
He released his gun from the side holster, then placed it on the bedside table. He took off the fully armed utility belt and laid it on the floor by the bed. Next, he bent to retrieve his knife and clutch piece from his ankle holsters. After setting those items down on the table, he began to empty the many pockets of his cargos. Pepper spray, stun gun, nylon cuffs, switchblade, extra bullets and cell phone were added to the building arsenal next to the bed.
In addition to all this, I knew there was also a gun secured between the mattress and the wall just below the headboard. He'd showed me how to grab the gun quickly and efficiently one night while we were lying in bed. He insisted I practice the move several times until he was confident I could do it without any trouble.
I looked at the overflowing table, then back at him. "Is that it?" I inquired, trying to raise a single eyebrow. I failed again, of course.
"No."
Good grief! I'd never actually seen everything he carried around assembled in one spot at the same time. Normally, he stored and put the items on piece by piece in the dressing room. There was enough stuff here to invade a small country. I wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if he'd whipped out the parts to assemble a rocket launcher. What more could he possibly have left?
Carlos dug into his pocket and removed a cuff key, then placed it on the bed. "Use this only if the alarm goes off or when you're ready to release me. I won't make any effort to free myself, I promise."
I made an affirmative sound. My stomach was tied in knots. What had I gotten myself into? Could I pull this off? Hell yes, I could. I was a Jersey girl, and I was going to have Batman right where I wanted him…at my mercy!
"How you going to do this, Babe?"
Right. I needed a plan. What to do? What to do? I looked at the headboard, but there really wasn't anywhere to 'attach' him to. Damn. The footboard post? Hmm. That didn't really look like a viable option. The floor, attached to one of the bed legs? No, probably one or both of us would end up with rug burns, no fun in that. I looked around the room trying to find something, anything, to chain Batman to…
"Babe?"
"Hang on; I'm not the strategist in this relationship. I need a minute." My eyes continued to search the room.
"You've already had five minutes."
"Are you getting impatient?" This was fun… He's nervous, and I haven't even started the main show yet!
"No. I have all night, Steph."
"So do I, Batman. So do I," I said confidently. This man was going down, slowly. By the end of this little adventure, he would be a puddle. The goal was to have him completely lose his cool. I wanted him to be the noisy one by the end, begging me to finish him. That sounded perfect. I could see a plan forming in my mind already.
"Okay. Since I can't cuff you to anything that looks even remotely comfortable, I'm going to just cuff your hands together and trust that you'll leave them above your head the entire time. Unless I let you move them. Alright?"
"You're the boss, Babe."
"Oh, I like the sound of that!"
I walked over to stand in front of him. Lightly I ran my left hand up his strong, tight chest while my right hand clasped the first bracelet to his left wrist. His eyes bore holes into me, probably in an effort to intimidate, but tonight, I was in control and calling all the shots; I refused to buckle under the pressure. I stared right back, gave a smug smile and tugged his left hand between us before reaching for his right wrist. Carlos did not resist. He simply allowed me to clamp the other cuff into place.
Okay, I realize that even with his hands cuffed in front of him, he was still a force to reckon with. That probably he could completely incapacitate me in a couple quick moves. But he wouldn't. He was handing me the power, willingly, and for the first time in his life, he was letting someone do this to him. It was a heady feeling for me.
Grabbing his bound hands, I pulled him around until his back was to the bed. I reached up and plowed my fingers roughly into his hair. With the four inch FMPs, I was nearly eye level with him, and I used this to my advantage. It was a short stretch to seal my lips over his. I held his head in place as I deepened the kiss, wedging my right leg between his legs. I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth, then nipped lightly.
Releasing his head, I let my hands travel down to settle in the center of his chest. I traced his nipples through his shirt, which caused him to twitch. At that moment, I used all my strength to shove him back with my hands and my upper body. He landed with a flop, since he was unable to control the fall. I remained standing next to the bed. He brought his head up a fraction to meet my gaze.
"Nice," he said softly.
"Um hmm." Bending down, I began unlacing his boots. When they were removed and placed out of the way, I removed his socks, tossing them over my shoulder without looking. I gripped his ankles and hauled his feet up onto the bed. Carlos worked with me, shifting his body so that he was now lying completely on the bed.
Again, I remained standing. My hands reached out and clasped the chain between the cuffs; with a gentle tug, I moved his hands to a position above his head. When I was satisfied with their placement, I used my fingertips to trace a path down his arms, his chest and stopped at his waist. Grabbing two handfuls of his shirt, I pulled it from his pants. My knuckles raked across his nipples as I pushed the shirt over his chest, then over his head.
With the cuffs in place, I would be unable to remove the shirt completely, but that was part of the plan. I pulled it until it was past his hands, then wadded it up in a ball and settled it between his palms. He fisted his hands around the material. Perfect, just what I wanted. I figured he'd increase his grip if I was 'getting' to him, so I'd use this as a gauge.
Time to join the party… I crawled up onto the bed in a slow fashion; part by plan and part because the dress was so dang tight I could barely move. I threw one leg across his middle then settled myself right down on top of him.
Wow, I hadn't really done anything yet, and he was already rearing for action, based on the hardness that was my temporary chair. I couldn't resist, I gave a couple of gentle rocks against him. His eyes closed, he took a deep breath, and his grip tightened on the shirt.
Carlos regained his calm quickly and opened his eyes. He looked straight down his body to between my legs. Oh, I was well aware I was using the Basic Instinct pose that Sharon Stone had made so popular in the movie. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're not wearing any panties."
"You're right, I'm not. Wasn't enough room for me and them, so I left the panties in the drawer over there." I motioned to the dressing room with a free hand.
"Dios," he breathed and closed his eyes again.
I realized that Carlos was practically always in contact me, in some way, when I was with him. Even in sleep, some part of us was touching. This was going to be my main weapon tonight. Touch. Touch everywhere.
Might as well start at the top and work my way down to the good stuff. I touched, kissed, licked and nibbled my happy little way from the tips of his fingers, down both of his arms.
My breasts may have accidentally on purpose brushed across his face repeatedly during this process. Each time that happened, the grip on the shirt would tighten and his breathing would pick up. Just wait, Batman, this is only the warm-up.
I paid homage to his face, running my fingers lightly across the entire surface, bending forward to kiss his closed eyelids and then his brows, down the bridge of his nose, across to his ears. I stopped to trace the shell of his ear with my tongue. I couldn't see his hands and the shirt, but I could feel the muscles in his arm harden. Carlos' ears were very sensitive, so I took extra time with each one.
When I straightened back up to look down at him, I noticed his jaw was set and he was trying to pull his blank face into action. Let's see how well that works out for you, sweetheart.
I'm aware that torture training is a major part of the Army Ranger curriculum, and no doubt, Carlos was an excellent student. He was able to close himself off from people and shut his emotions down to concentrate on the matter at hand, with everyone but me. Even before we officially became a couple, I'd seen small kinks in his otherwise flawless emotional armor.
The Stiva, Scrog and Slayer incidents immediately sprang to mind. During those times, I caught glimpses of how much power I had over this man. Of course, I was too scared to act on what I saw, what I knew in my heart, even then. I took up residence in the Denial Hotel and told myself he really didn't care that much for me, he didn't do relationships, yada, yada, yada. I was an expert with the denial emotion after all.
But, I'd seen his control slip. The scene in the hospital a couple of weeks ago was still fresh in my mind. He would let me see the real him and not the blank, emotionless man he portrayed to the outside world. His attempt at the blank face now was merely a reflection of his training; he knew someone was trying to break his defenses, so he responded appropriately. When this got more interesting, more intimate, that mask would shatter. I'd see to that. It was my sole purpose at this point.
I continued my journey down his neck, using the same pattern as before until I arrived at his nipples. Next to his 'package', these were his most vulnerable spots. He always responded whenever I gave them any attention. I dragged my fingernail around one, then the other, until they formed a tight nub. He sucked in a breath the second I touched the first one. By the time I was finished with the second one, his knuckles were white on the shirt and his breathing had turned to short pants. When I settled my mouth over the right nipple, he hissed out a breath. I bit down lightly and a groan erupted from deep in his chest. I could feel it as much as hear it. The left one received the same attention with similar results and actions.
Continuing my sensual vacation, after a quick stop off at his navel, I arrived at ground zero… sort of. The actual treasure was still covered, but was straining to get out. I was just the person for the job. I flicked the button open and eased the zipper of his fly down. His erect cock rushed out to greet me. I quickly settled my mouth over the tip, offering my own brand of greeting. Carlos' upper body arched up in response.
I sampled him for several minutes before I resumed the pants removal. As each new piece of skin was exposed, I welcomed it with my mouth as well.
When the journey ended at his feet, I slid off the bed and knelt on the floor. I ran my tongue up the arch of his foot.
He let out an exclamation in Spanish. Someday, I really needed to get a handle on that language. I was missing all sorts of good things. Often 'in the heat of the moment', Carlos would switch to Spanish. I'm not sure if he's even aware he does it, but nothing turns me on faster than hearing him speak it, even if I have no idea what he's saying.
When I sucked his small toe into my mouth, I think he went a little crazy. But I couldn't worry about that, I had a whole other foot to take care of. When that job was finished, I rose to a standing position at the end of the bed.
Yum, yum. The sight displayed before me looked, well, delicious. Carlos himself he seemed just a touched frazzled, teetering on the edge of rational thought. Perfect… Right where I wanted him.
I noticed that the clothes ratio was a bit one-sided, so I decided to even up the score. I turned around and slowly eased the zipper down the back of the dress.
Casually, I glanced over my shoulder to see if I'd caught his notice. Oh good, I had his undivided attention. When the zipper was completely undone, I slid the material of the dress off my shoulders. As it moved down my arms, I turned back around to face Carlos.
His eyes were locked on my breasts. Once my hands were free, I reached up and cupped myself. I closed my eyes, then tipped my head back while I envisioned Carlos was the one teasing my nipples.
The Spanish resumed again in earnest, and if I'm not mistaken, louder and quicker. This was definitely doing things for him; and me as well, as a matter of fact. I was getting myself all cranked up. Good thing there was something right in front of me that could help me with my little problem. He looked pretty ready for action, too. Hee,hee,hee.
I leisurely bent forward to push the dress the rest of the way off. It fell to the floor noiselessly. I decided to leave the FMPs on for now, because they empowered me, made me feel sexier somehow. Besides, Carlos seemed to really like these shoes.
His eyes tracked my movements as I made my way to stand next to him at the side of the bed. I sat my naked ass right at his waist, then leaned over to kiss him on the mouth.
Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying this time with Carlos, but I missed his hands on my body. It seems I'm pretty addicted to his touch as well.
When our kiss ended, he nuzzled his face against the side of my breast. His tongue darted out and licked my nipple. I gasped in pleasure. I decided this was fun for both of us, so I settled myself back over him and braced my hands on either side of his head, leaving my breasts to dangle in front of his face.
He's never made a secret that he's an opportunist, so when I did this, he wasted no time sucking my nipple into his mouth. Good God that felt great! I savored the feel of his mouth of my flesh for several minutes, then pulled away and settled my mouth back onto his. When I straightened back up, he spoke to me for the first time since I started this.
"Babe, I want to taste you."
"Who's the boss here?" I asked purposely.
"Please."
Shit! The 'please' will do it every time and he knows it! Okay Stephanie, give a little here. He's been a good sport so far. I crawled on my knees towards his head until I was directly above his face. I placed my hands in his cuffed ones and tightened my grip around his wadded up shirt as he licked at inner folds. His tongue circled my bundle of nerves, and when he bit down lightly, I nearly rocketed off the bed. Then his clever tongue began thrusting into my core.
Omigod, even restrained, he could get me off in no time at all. The first orgasm hit me from out of nowhere, without warning. I may have screamed. Okay, I know I did, and that was not the sole purpose of tonight.
I began my descent back down his body as he spoke up again. "Babe, where are you going?"
"Not far. About right here," I said as I sucked nearly his full length into my mouth. His hips thrust forward in reflex. Yep, two could play this game. I reached down with my hand to fondle his balls, pulling lightly on them.
He didn't exactly scream, but his voice was definitely raised when he said, "Fuck!" Now we're cooking. This was what I wanted. I continued to massage his sac with my hand and his cock with my mouth. He was getting pretty worked up, so I decided to flip his switch.
I sucked harder and faster, using one hand to stroke the part of him I couldn't get into my mouth. With my free hand, I reached up and pinched his right nipple. This triggered his release, and he shouted out in Spanish. Apparently I caught him off guard.
His head began thrashing from side to side and his hands locked in a death grip on the shirt, veins standing up on his arms. I swallowed his juices as they came, continuing to work him with my mouth through his orgasm.
When the tide had passed, his cock was still hard, and I saw no reason to waste a good thing. I quickly positioned myself above him and slammed down on top of him in one fluid motion.
He bolted upright in bed and I nearly lost my seat. I guess since his head was thrown back and his eyes were staring unfocused at the ceiling after his orgasm, he might not have noticed that I was gearing up for a ride. Maybe, I just might have surprised him, huh?
"Shit! Fuck! Stephanie! Are you trying to kill me?"
"Me? Of course not, Carlos, I'm not done with you yet."
The Spanish resumed as he flopped back down on the bed. Oh well, I guess that conversation was over. No problem. I had something to entertain me.
I began my ride, slowly at first, using my inner muscles to tighten around him. Each time I did this, he got a smidgen louder. Before long, I needed to pick up the pace. I could feel my next orgasm bubbling to the surface. With my hands pushing down on his chest as leverage, I began to ride him hard and fast.
His eyes couldn't decide what they wanted to focus on, where our bodies were joined or my bouncing breasts. Let him figure that out for himself. I shut my eyes, threw back my head and screamed when the orgasm arrived.
This set him off again, and his shout was music to my ears. Good thing we had the house to ourselves and the neighbors weren't close. Tonight had turned out to be rather loud.
When the last waves of my orgasm had smoothed, I opened my eyes and looked down at Carlos. He had sweat glistening on his chest, and the hair around his face was damp as well. The shirt lay limply between his shackled hands. He looked relaxed, but completely exhausted. I felt able to conquer the world. Maybe after a few minutes of recovery, I'd be ready to go again.
"Not on your life, Stephanie Plum," he said in a strained voice.
"What? Did I say that out loud?"
"No, but sometimes the look on your face speaks volumes. And the one you just gave me was similar to the one I see when you're considering that second Boston Crème that we both know you won't resist."
"Well, maybe if I take these cuffs off you, you'll be more agreeable to another round."
Locating the key on the bed, I unlocked the cuffs and massaged his wrists where the bracelets had dug into his skin.
I eased up and off of Carlos, settling myself down at his side with my head resting on his chest. He moved his arms around me to embrace me and hold me tight against him.
This had been fun, but the feel of his touch had been greatly missed, and I didn't know if this was something I wanted to do again anytime soon. I didn't feel as connected to him as I do when his hands are free. I decided to see what he thought about it.
"So, what did you think about being the restrainee?"
"I missed the freedom to touch you. Don't get me wrong, Stephanie, it was great. You blew my mind, more than once, but it didn't have the depth of feeling that I usually have with you. That I've only had with you."
"I know. I felt that, too. I guess this means I'm off the hook with having them used on me, huh?"
"I don't think so, Babe. While you were working your sexy mouth all over my body, I was plotting."
"Plotting?" I squeaked. I knew what a master planner he was, and frankly, I was a little scared. God, I hope I survived.
"Paybacks are a bitch, Steph," he promised, and as he leaned down to kiss me, I felt the cuffs lock around my wrists. Sweet heaven, I was in Big Trouble!
Author's note: Want to hear Ranger's POV on Steph in handcuffs? You decide. I'll base my next chapter on the reviews I receive. 20 'yeah' votes for smut and you hear his side. If not, the story resumes the following morning with no details. Again, your choice!